Sigur Rós

Ah, Iceland

Tony Reinke Iceland, Sigur Rós

Its very name makes it sound like a frigid monochromatic wasteland of ice and ash, but the more I learn about Iceland the more intrigued I become and the more — especially since watching the Heima DVD — I’ve wanted to breathe Iceland’s air, enjoy its geothermal baths, hike its hills and glaciers, step up its hexagonal basalt columns, watch its geysers, listen to its massive waterfalls, walk its moonscapes, splash barefoot on its black sand shores, maybe watch a volcano spray red fire into the night sky, or just drive through old Norse-named towns like Kirkjubæjarklaustur.

From what I’ve been able to gather, the features of Iceland inspired the features of Tolkien’s Middle Earth just as much as Icelandic folklore inspired his story. That makes sense.

So I’ll get to Iceland some day. But if you cannot be in Iceland I guess the next best option is to watch video footage from Iceland. Here are some favorite videos of mine, all discovered as I klikked on the Inter-nets. What a country.

Bless bless

Tony

On My iPod

Tony Reinke Music, Sigur Rós

A few of the albums currently streaming through the ‘buds:

  • The Civil Wars, Barton Hollow (2011). An album that grew on me after about the third or fourth play. [Amazon | iTunes]
  • Josh Garrels, Love & War & The Sea In Between (2011). Apart from one or two songs that grate on me, I like this album a lot. Don’t miss his track “Farther Along.” Crank it and sing along! Garrels recently told CT, “We were so provided for during the making of this album, by both God and men, that it seems appropriate to give away as freely as we received.” In that spirit, you can download the album for free here.
  • Sovereign Grace Music, Risen (2011). I’ve been listening to this album since before Easter. Why stop now? [Amazon | iTunes]
  • Sigur Rós, Takk… (2005). Because my playlist is always flavored with a little Sigur. [Amazon | iTunes]
  • Glenn Gould, Bach: The Goldberg Variations (1955). It’s unclear if Gould was autistic or just eccentric but it’s obvious he was a prodigy. The energy he brings to the piano in this recording is impressive. [Amazon | iTunes]

What albums currently flavor your life?